Deborah Wingler Joins HKS Research Team

Deborah Wingler, Ph.D., MSD-HHE, EDAC, has joined HKS as vice president and health research lead. In this new role, Wingler will collaborate with the firm’s research and design teams to develop and implement research initiatives that drive innovation and achieve meaningful, measurable outcomes across the HKS health practice. Wingler will be based in the firm’s Dallas, Texas headquarters and work with the practice globally, reporting to HKS Research Director Upali Nanda.

Wingler’s research focuses on improving the patient and staff experience through research studies that utilize real-time data collection techniques to glean insight into patient and staff physiological, psychological and neural responses to high-stress healthcare environments. In her prior role as a research assistant professor with the Center for Health Facilities Design and Testing at Clemson University, she contributed to multiple, large, grant-funded projects, working with multidisciplinary teams to develop solutions for improving patient safety, user experience and operational efficiencies.

Through her prior work as president of Healing Design Integration, Wingler collaborated with healthcare organizations, manufacturers and design firms in the industry, leading efforts to integrate research into the design process at varying scales, from the development of emerging models of care through multi-year capital projects. Her research work includes developing tools to support Evidence-Based Design decisions, and the design of products and platforms to support the delivery of care.

Her work is published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and industry publications. She is a passionate advocate for the patient and family in health design and serves as a reviewer for peer-reviewed journals and industry competitions.